Thank you to those who participated in the recent campaign to elect the District One supervisor in San Mateo County. The voters have spoken and I congratulate the winner.

While I might have lost a political campaign, none of us can afford to lose the opportunity in front of us. My hope is that you will continue to be active, continue to make sure your voice is heard and continue to demand the most of your public officials.

Winston Churchill said that "success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." I can say from experience that failure is not fun; however, failing to fail is a sign that you aren't testing the limits of what you are capable.

There is much work to be done. It will take our collective spirit to make sure that the major decisions of our elected leaders are done in a fashion that protects those most vulnerable, while making bold changes to the way government performs its duties.

Over the course of the campaign, I met so many incredible people. I am thankful I had the opportunity to hear their thoughts, better understand their struggles and priorities and to discuss creative ways to make government more effective. These are the people I fought to help.

From my perspective, for the good of the people around us who are struggling, we have to keep trying to help others — to make a difference for the better. If we don't try, we will never know what we could have done. And by just trying, we can touch the lives of so many.

I am dedicated to public service and I will continue to serve the residents of San Mateo County. I have passed my proposals on to the Board of Supervisors and will work with them in my role as a member of the City Council to tackle the financial crisis head on. I will continue to serve the state of California as a deputy attorney general. I will continue my work honoring my mother's legacy to provide new clothing to under-privileged children to give them confidence to succeed in school. I will continue to honor my brother's memory by awarding scholarships to local high school seniors who have persevered in the face of adversity.

But we all have to remain diligent. We all have to participate in the democratic process. I implore you to vote to make sure your voice is heard and to actively participate to move San Mateo County forward to be the jewel of the region with an identity as the home of caring, hard-working people at all stages of life thriving in a sustainable and robust economy.